The Man Who Changed His Life at 40 (Rabbi Akiva)

Description

In this video Rabbi Shais Taub talks about something simple but actually very deep. It starts with this idea that over time, things change—even if at first it doesn’t look like anything is happening. Like water dripping on stone. At first nothing, then a small dent, and eventually real change. He shares the story of Rabbi Akiva, who for the first 40 years of his life wasn’t even literate. He was a shepherd, not someone learning Torah at all. And then one moment changed everything—when he saw how water could carve into stone. That’s when he realized that if water can affect rock, then Torah can affect him. But it didn’t happen overnight. He had to start from the very beginning, like a child, learning the aleph-beis. And over time, he became one of the greatest teachers of the Jewish people. Then there’s another story, about a man who notices water dripping on his horse but it doesn’t leave any mark. Why? Because the horse keeps shaking it off. Unlike the stone, which stays in place and lets the water work on it. And that’s really the point. Truth can change a person—but only if they allow it to. Some people hear something real and let it in. Others push it away, rationalize it, and nothing changes. Rabbi Akiva had a very great soul, even though it didn’t show for many years. Eventually it came out. Not because it was easy, but because he allowed the process. So the idea is simple, but not easy: We all have potential. But it only becomes real if we let the truth affect us and don’t just shake it off. It’s not too late. #NotTooLate #RabbiAkiva #JewishWisdom #PersonalGrowth #Torah --- *For more classes from Rabbi Shais Taub:* 🌐 *Website:* https://www.soulwords.org/ *Follow Rabbi Shais Taub:* 📸 *Instagram:* https://www.instagram.com/rabbi_shais_taub 🎥 *TikTok:* https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi_shais_taub 🐦 *X (Twitter):* https://www.x.com/ShaisTaub 📘 *Facebook:* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573478244968 💼 *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/shais-taub-81a95466/ 🎧 *Listen to the SoulWords Podcast:* 🎵 *Spotify:* https://open.spotify.com/show/51E7XHWFDbZCGJQz7CoAZP 🍏 *Apple Podcasts:* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulwords-full-library/id1450892501 *Support Our Work:* 💳 *Donate:* https://www.soulwords.org/donate/ 💰 *PayPal:* https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/soulwordspayments 💵 *CashApp:* https://cash.app/$soulwords 🪙 *Venmo:* https://venmo.com/u/soulwords *About SoulWords:* SoulWords is a virtual community hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub, where people come together to explore the spiritual insights of Torah and discover their unique purpose. This platform is here to facilitate your spiritual growth by sharing the mystical teachings of Judaism in contemporary language—making deep wisdom accessible and relevant to your life.